Willie Desjardins spent last season as Glen Gulutzan’s right hand man.

Now he has Gulutzan’s old job.

Today, the Dallas Stars announced Desjardins would be moving from associate coach at the NHL level to head coach of their AHL affiliate in Texas — the job Gulutzan held for two season before becoming Stars head coach.

“We believe that Willie’s track record as a teacher of the game and his ability to develop young players is a perfect fit for the Texas Stars,” Dallas GM Joe Nieuwendyk told the team website. “His knowledge of Glen Gulutzan’s system and his familiarity with our prospects will continue to improve player development between Dallas and the Texas Stars.”

Prior to joining the Dallas organization, Desjardins established himself as an outstanding junior coach, building a powerhouse in WHL Medicine Hat and serving two stints on Canada’s coaching staff at the World Junior tournament, winning gold and silver respectively.

This move is very similar to the one we saw from Ottawa in late May. The Senators made assistant coach Luke Richardson the head man in AHL Binghamton after Kurt Kleinedorst turned down a contract offer.